Paroxysm

As Washington authorities search for the assassins of President Lincoln, Mary Harris awaits trial for having murdered Adoniram Judson Burroughs, the man who had abandoned her and married another. A clever Irish farm girl from Iowa, Mary capitalizes on the sympathy of many influential visitors to pressure Joseph H. Bradley, a prominent Washington attorney, to take her case. Bradley assembles a distinguished group of lawyers and politicians who defend Mary with great skill and cunning, arguing that the accused suffers from "paroxysmal insanity." At the same time, they imply that she is but the instrument of divine retribution for the deceased's own depravity and the complicity of his famous brother, a minister and university president. The trial receives nationwide attention. Lincoln's wife - herself mentally troubled - sends Mary a bouquet of flowers while she is confined in her jail cell. Lawyers jockey to frame the debate, the defense presenting some of the most eloquent and moving speeches ever heard in an American courtroom while the prosecution presents incisive arguments that cut to the heart of the legal issues. Thinking judgment battles feeling judgment for the minds of the jurors. They return with their verdict after just five minutes of deliberation. But public sentiment reverses course when newspapers and the national psychiatric association criticize the decisions made by the jury, the judge, and the lawyers involved in the case. Defendant and counsel become close companions as she struggles with her affliction while he defends one of the Lincoln conspirators. Based on a true story, many historical facts in the case are uncovered which were not available to the jury or the attorneys involved. The author presents in dramatic form what he believes to be the true story of this amazing crime and the surprising romance which emerged from it.